It's NAB time again, and I have a quick update with all our latest news!

 

We have had great fun working hard all year turning ideas into new products! This year we have a new DeckLink card, new converters, new routers, new monitoring, a waveform monitor, Linux support and a whole bunch of new software updates! 

 

It's quite a lot, and I will describe everything below!

 

 

For years I have wanted good waveform monitoring for color correction and editing workstations, however most of the products available were either way too expensive or not technically accurate and often quite an ugly design! We really wanted to change that because we want to add waveform monitoring into studios where clients attend and we think waveform monitoring should look nice and be technically accurate.

 

Blackmagic UltraScope is designed for color correction, editing and quality control use, and it looks great in your studio because it features elegant design, combined with technical accuracy. It includes 6 waveform views so it's just like having 6 scopes all in one.

 

Blackmagic UltraScope is a PC based SDI scope that features a plug in PCI card and software. It plugs into any low cost PCI Express based PC, and uses a 24 inch monitor to draw the 6 scope views. These views are RGB/YUV parade, waveform, vector, histogram, audio meters, audio stereo scope, and picture view with VITC timecode reader.

 

There are enough scopes included to make color correction, video shoots and quality control checking easy and, because it's SDI based, it's digitally accurate. Blackmagic UltraScope is designed to be technically accurate, so engineers will love to use it too! 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year we introduced Broadcast Videohub and it was really well received. It introduced 3 Gb/s SDI into the Videohub family, plus a great industrial strength power supply. We thought it was time to update the baby router with the same 3 Gb/s SDI technology. 

 

Studio Videohub replaces the older Workgroup Videohub, however it's smaller at only 2 rack units high and has more connections at 16 x 32. It's a bit like a mini Broadcast Videohub, as it uses the same technology, re-clocking, power supply, deck control ports and the same 3 Gb/s SDI. It's perfect for small studios and small workgroups. 

 

 

Studio Videohub is available now for $4,995.

 

 

Last year when we introduced the Broadcast Videohub, a bunch of people asked if we could do a version of it that was larger than it's 72 x 144 size. This was a bit surprising as we thought at the time that Broadcast Videohub was massive! 

 

At that time, Broadcast Videohub was the largest size our production machines could handle. However we thought hard about the problem, and then decided that it would be fun to make a larger Videohub, so we rebuilt our factory, and went for it!

 

The result is the new Enterprise Videohub, which is a massive 144 x 288. It's got the same single PCB design that avoids the need for unreliable plug in cards and internal connectors, plus it's got the same redundant power supplies, 3 Gb/s SDI and full SDI re-clocking. It's the same thin design as Broadcast Videohub, and is 16 rack units in size.

 

We think Enterprise Videohub is big enough for the largest facility with huge amounts of SDI equipment that all needs to be shared between people!

 

 

 

 

I think the only real limitation our Videohub routers have previously suffered is the software and we have been working hard to fix that. We originally used network based software control for Videohub because it's so easy to use the network you already have installed in your building. This lets you change router connections from your desktop.

 

Now we have an exciting update to Videohub 4.0 that includes three new button view control windows. These widows are designed with large customizable buttons, and all you need to do is push the button to change a router connection.

 

Two of these button windows are designed to run full screen on 20 and 24 inch monitors, so you can use new touch screen computers, such as the HP Touchsmart, as a large color touch screen control panel. These computers are much lower cost than a multi-function control panel, and with Videohub 4.0's button view, they make the world's greatest router control panel! We have a great interactive demo of this on our booth at NAB.

 

 

Videohub 4.0 will be available in May as a free update for all Videohub router models.

 

 

One of the biggest costs in any television facility is the cost of space. With DVI Extender we wanted to find a way to let you route your computer monitor via your 3 Gb/s SDI router. If you can do this, you can move between rooms easy.

 

If you can move between rooms easy, you can completely change the way you design a facility. You can have large decadently designed rooms for clients, and then small rooms or even cubicles for when you're not with a client. DVI Extender lets you locate all your noisy computers in one central place and then use your router to connect your computer and video monitors to any room in your facility. 

 

This has other big advantages as well. DVI Extender uses a HDLink Pro as it's other monitor end. HDLink Pro can view both computer resolution input from DVI Extender, or regular HD-SDI video, so with a single monitor you can watch either a computer or video monitor. That's perfect for client monitoring as they can see both.

 

Also, you can route the DVI computer monitor to more than one location, which is great for digital signage work where there are different data type screens around a building with all types of different info, or lots of monitors. 

 

DVI Extender powers from the computer's USB port, and has a DVI connection that plugs into the computer, as well as an audio input so you get sound.

 

Of course DVI Extender also converts from DVI to regular HD/SD-SDI, so it's a great converter if you want to use accelerated 3D graphics from computers to SDI video. Because it's USB powered, it can be used and powered from a laptop computer.

 

 

 

 

We have some great new products with optical fiber this year! We have been working hard on trying to eliminate the cost of using optical fiber, as we think it's the next generation of SDI connection. 

 

Optical fiber has some big benefits such as long distances, low cost, and optical fiber cables last virtually forever because you can keep plugging them into faster equipment in the future, and the same cables will go much faster. Optical fiber cables can be installed by your local electrician, and the cables can be purchased from your local electrical wholesaler. That's because optical fiber is used all the time in computer networking, so it's low cost and commonly available.

 

The only easy way to make optical fiber affordable and competitive with regular copper SDI is to build optical fiber into the equipment. We have done this on 4 new product models.

 

No one has done this before and I think, for the first time, these products will let everyone afford to build native optical fiber studios. 

 

 

We have a new DeckLink card that has both regular SDI and optical fiber SDI capture and playback. DeckLink Optical Fiber is a full 10 bit HD/SD capture card compatible with Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It also includes RS-422 deck control, 8 channels of embedded SDI audio, SD internal keyer, and tri-sync/black burst reference input. 

 

We think DeckLink Optical Fiber is a fantastic card for anyone who wants to use optical fiber or regular SDI because both are built in. It's also a fantastic card for developers who want to sell to broadcasters.

 

 

 

HDLink Optical Fiber is a new monitoring converter that's an enhanced version of HDLink Pro. HDLink Optical Fiber is a SD, HD and 2K monitoring converter that uses 24 or 30 inch DVI displays or HDMI televisions for broadcast monitoring. It has 3D look up tables built in, and 6 channels of RCA audio monitoring out. 

 

It features both traditional copper SDI input as well as optical fiber SDI input, plus copper SDI and optical fiber SDI loop-thru outputs. Both outputs are always active and the inputs are auto selected. 

 

HDLink Optical Fiber is priced at US$795 which is the same price as the HDLink Pro model it replaces. This means optical fiber has been added at no extra charge. Of course HDLink Pro is still a very powerful product when optical fiber is not needed, and this model has now been reduced in price to US$495.

 

 

 

 

Of course if you're converting other equipment to optical fiber, then we also have a new Mini Converter model that converts from SDI to optical fiber, as well as optical fiber to SDI simultaneously. This single converter can convert both the input and output of conventional SDI equipment to optical fiber. Mini Converter Optical Fiber handles all SD, HD and 3 Gb/s SDI formats, and auto switches, and it's a fantastic and affordable solution to make optical fiber more affordable.

 

 

 

 

Lastly, Blackmagic UltraScope also has both regular SDI as well as optical fiber SDI inputs built in for the same $695 price. 

 

We think with all these products, it's now easy to build a native optical fiber television studio, and then get future proof cabling so you don't need to upgrade every time a new video standard comes along.

 

I have written a white paper discussing the benefits and limitations of both copper SDI and optical fiber SDI, and if you would like to check it out, then please download it from the link below.

 

 

 

Last year we introduced 5 Mini Converters, and we have received some fantastic positive feedback on them. We have 2 new models this year that take care of audio embedding and de-embedding.

 

Both models have loop through SDI video that auto switches between SD, HD and 3 Gb/s and includes the redundant input feature. Both models feature audio that can be switched between balanced analog or AES/EBU digital audio on standard balanced jack connectors.

 

The Mini Converter SDI to Audio then de-embedds 4 channels of balanced analog audio, or 8 channels of AES/EBU digital audio from the SDI input. You can select which audio channels you want to de-embed.

 

Mini Converter Audio to SDI is the opposite, and it embeds audio from either 4 channels of analog or 8 channels of AES/EBU digital audio into the SDI input video and outputs it on the SDI output. You can select to leave an audio channel in the SDI input untouched, or to overwrite it with one of the audio inputs. All AES/EBU audio inputs feature sample rate converters, which can be turned off when working with Dolby audio inputs.

 

 

 

 

A lot of people are building larger systems with rack based equipment, and don't want to clutter the rear of racks with mini converter type bricks. 

 

To solve this problem we have 8 new rack based converters fully compatible with the OpenGear standard. 

 

OpenGear is the television industry's open standard for rack based conversion and processing, and are compatible with a wide range of third party equipment from OpenGear partners worldwide. OpenGear was invented by Ross Video as an open standard for rack mount converters and processing for television broadcasters. 

 

OpenGear uses a 2 rack unit rack frame that normally holds up to 10 plug in cards or, when using simpler cards, a double density frame can be used to hold up to 20 cards. OpenGear cards are hot swappable and can be centrally controlled via the DashBoard network control and monitoring software for Windows, Mac and Linux.

 

Blackmagic OpenGear Converters include the latest technology such as 3 Gb/s SDI, redundant SDI inputs, switchable AES/EBU and balanced audio and support for OpenGear’s DashBoard network based control software. 

 

We have 8 OpenGear Converter models to choose from, depending on your conversion needs. SDI to Analog, Analog to SDI, SDI to HDMI, HDMI to SDI, SDI to Audio, Audio to SDI, Optical Fiber and Sync Generator. Detailed specifications are on our web site for each model.

 

Blackmagic OpenGear Converters also include powerful processing that can be upgraded via the USB port on the front of each card. The SDI to Analog model features a high quality HD down converter that supports letterbox, anamorphic 16:9 and center cut 4:3 modes. 

 

 

OpenGear Converters will be available in June and all models are only $495.

 

 

We also have a new version of Media Express. This new version features frame accurate batch capture of DPX, QuickTime and AVI files. It also supports a dramatically improved user interface with batch lists, metadata editing, support for double speed capture on Sony HDCAM-SR decks and more. 

 

Media Express 2.0 is due in June at no charge, and will work with all DeckLink, Multibridge and Intensity cards. Available on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. 

 

 

As you can see, we are now supporting Linux on DeckLink, Multibridge and Intensity cards. This will be a free download, and you will be able to switch between platforms and run on all of them. Media Express 2.0 will be on Linux, so this will provide a full production solution on Linux with capture and playback of DPX, AVI and QuickTime with deck control. 

 

We also have our developer SDK supported on Linux so anyone can create custom solutions. It's taken us longer than we expected to support Linux, but we wanted to make sure we did it right, and with a really good version of Media Express. Then we have a solid production workstation on a great operating system!

 

Linux support will be rereleased in May for developers, and June with Media Express as a free download.

 

 

As mentioned above, our software developer kit is now available for download for Windows and Mac, and Linux is due in May. 

 

 

 

Lastly, I wanted to mention the new model DeckLink HD Extreme that shipped easily last month. This new model now has incredible processing power and includes high quality down conversion to letterbox, anamorphic 16:9 and center cut 4:3. 

 

Also included is Dual Link 3 Gb/s SDI capture and playback, so you can work in the highest possible quality. Analog video, analog audio, HDMI and AES/EBU digital audio capture and playback are also included, as well as deck control and reference input. A HD keyer is built in, and you can also output video and key out.

 

The new DeckLink HD Extreme is the same price as the previous model at $995 and it's avalible now.

 

 

 

Finally we have some new lower prices on Intensity Pro, DeckLink SDI and HDLink Pro. This is the part I love because it makes getting access to higher quality video tools even easer!

 

Intensity Pro has been an incredible capture card for us because when we designed it, we made sure it had the same high quality analog components that we used on our high end Multibridge Eclipse. This means it has amazing analog quality combined with the digital quality of HDMI capture and playback. 

 

 

 

 

DeckLink SDI is popular with broadcasters and developers, and we wanted to make it even easier to buy. DeckLink SDI is now reduced by $100 to only $295. 

 

HDLink Pro now replaces the original HDLink, and has been reduced in price. It sill includes Dual Link 3 Gb/s SDI input, 2K support on a 30 inch display, 3D lookup tables, DVI or HDMI monitor support, and 6 channels of RCA analog audio outputs. This new price really reduces the cost of HD and 2K monitoring, plus HDLink Pro works with the new DVI Extender.

 

Thats all the news for now, and we hope to see you at NAB!

 

 

Regards,

 

Grant Petty

Blackmagic Design